Shape the Future
Your internship office?
450+ acres of Wild Wisconsin.
Riveredge is more than a nature center. Its legacy as a pioneer in the areas of land restoration, research, and inquiry-based education throughout Wisconsin serve as a strong foundation to today’s work.
Riveredge is redefining the role of the nature center in the community by empowering and supporting communities to live in harmony with their natural environment in a way that encourages exploration, adventure, and fun.
Our Practicum Experience allows college students to gain a deeper understanding and appreciation of the natural world.
open Internships
If you have questions please contact interns@riveredge.us.
Environmental Education Summer Camp Intern Full-time, June-Aug
The Riveredge Nature Center Environmental Education Summer Internship is a unique opportunity for a person just entering the environmental education field who is willing to learn and work with a dedicated group of staff and volunteers. The intern will assist with Riveredge Nature Journeys Summer Camp programs. Depending on the goals of the selected intern, she/he may also assist, observe, and lead Youth and Family programs as well as
Summer Day Ed-venture programs. If the Intern chooses to take college and university credit with this program, Riveredge staff will work with him/her to fulfill requirements when applicable. This position is responsible for teaching environmental education programs to school-aged students, families and adults, and the delivery of education events. The position is full time June through August.
Organic Garden and Permaculture Education Intern Full-time, May-Aug
The intern will work creatively with the Riveredge Nature Center team of staff and volunteers to develop and maintain the organic garden, outdoor kitchen, and the permaculture site for use by Riveredge Nature Journeys Summer Camps and other educational groups.
Community Rivers Program Summer Outreach Full-time, June-Aug
This program is rooted in a community-based approach to transforming the Upper Milwaukee River Watershed through the engagement of rural municipalities and their citizens in its region. The work conducted through CRP will inspire residents to care about their watershed, educate them about the challenges faced by the watershed, and engage them in changing land management practices to help improve the habitat and quality of water in the watershed. The Community Outreach and Watershed Health Assistant will achieve this through a series of personal engagement, adventure activities, and asset based community-wide efforts. The Community Outreach and Water Watershed Health Assistant is a critical component in the outward facing work of CPR throughout the summer as well as the internal process of tracking our progress, goals, and relationships established over time. This position will spend approximately 50% of the time allocated conducting research and completing programmatic administrative tasks and 50% of the time allocated in the field/conducting outreach.
Lake Sturgeon Streamside Rearing Facility Intern Filled
Lake sturgeon are the oldest and largest native fish found in the Great Lakes ecosystem. They were extirpated from the Milwaukee River over 100 years ago. Starting in 2006, Riveredge Nature Center teamed up with the Wisconsin DNR to reintroduce sturgeon by raising fingerlings in a streamside rearing facility (SRF) located on our property. This facility enables the sturgeon to imprint on Milwaukee River water so they return to it to spawn when they are adults. The goal of this project is to raise 1,000 – 1,500 fish per year over 25 years which will provide enough mature adults to support a breeding population of lake sturgeon in the river in the future.
Native Orchid Research Volunteer
Currently, this position is volunteer only (unpaid).
Native orchids are under severe threat due to loss of habitat or changing habitat conditions and many species are likely to become extinct unless action is taken to conserve them and their fungal partners. Promoting efforts to conserve habitats and to restore native orchids where populations have declined will be essential to the future of these fascinating plant species. Native orchids are known to occur at Riveredge and nearby Cedarburg Bog State Natural Area. This is a long-term project, but 2019 internship support will focus on investigating the biological requirements of several orchid species by collecting baseline information at reference sites where they occur; assisting with hand pollination; and identification of suitable sites for future outplanting of lab propagated seedlings. Field work will occur at Riveredge and other sites in adjacent counties.
Ornithology Research Volunteer
Currently, this position is volunteer only (unpaid).
Riveredge Nature Center has a 30+ year history of surveying its resident and migrating avian populations. We are looking for an individual to locate nests and monitor nesting success within oak woodland, riparian mesic forest, and fen habitats. This individual will also assist in our banding operations and the collection of this June’s breeding bird survey across 177 acres of varied habitat.
Buildings and Grounds Summer Assistant Full or part-time, May-Aug
The summer assistant will work with the Buildings and Grounds team to develop and maintain the facilities, grounds, farm, and trails of Riveredge Nature Center.
BENEFITS OF A RIVEREDGE PRACTICUM EXPERIENCE
Hands-on work experience at an organization with over 50 years of history.
Direct training and supervision from Riveredge staff.
Opportunities for networking and professional development.
Chances to work with and learn from the other Riveredge departments.
Did we mention we’re super fun?
“My summer internship experience at Riveredge Nature Center was highly positive and educational; one that I would recommend to other undergraduate students any day. I felt this summer’s opportunity really strengthened my abilities as an undergraduate and has helped me to feel even more prepared to begin a graduate program after graduation.”
Anastasia Wolf-Flasch
UW-Stevens Point